8 Tips on How to Get Better Pictures of Your Kids This Summer

8 Tips on How to Get Better Pictures of Your Kids This Summer

With summer vacation now in full swing, you’re probably finding yourself lugging your camera around trying to capture all the new memories being made. Do you find that your summer pictures usually lack that wow factor?

Here’s a list of 8 easy things you can do to improve them and really capture memories that will last a lifetime.

AVOID HARSH LIGHT

Most people love sunny summer days but to get really great pictures try shooting in either full shade or on a cloudy day. Avoid shooting in places that have dappled light like under trees etc… Since cameras have a very hard time deciding what parts need to be dark and which ones need to be brighter in these situations, by staying in full shade you are guaranteeing nice even light on your child every time.

TAKE PICTURES AT DAWN OR DUSK

Light is more even during this time, the colors in the sky are amazing and will give your pictures that extra punch you’re looking for.

LET KIDS BE KIDS

I see a lot of people trying to pose their kids and giving them direction by saying things like “don’t smile that way, you look funny” or “stand like this because the other way looks silly”. This makes kids feel self-conscious about themselves. I see kids who are only 7 or 8 years old being very awkward in front of the camera when a few years before they were care free, easy to photograph and it just breaks my heart. Try capturing your child when they aren’t looking or when they’re running around. Fade into the background and that’s when you will truly capture the magic.

GET LOW

Try taking pictures at your child’s level. You are much taller than him so when you stand you aren’t capturing him as he truly is but getting a bird’s eye view. By getting low to the ground you can get a different perspective and chances are you will get expressions you wouldn’t have captured otherwise.

FOCUS ON THE EYES

To get a truly great photograph of your child, make sure to focus on the eyes. You will have a much stronger picture this way, as the eyes are usually something that draws a person to a picture.

GET CLOSE

Most people feel they need to get the child and all its surroundings in every picture. Try getting really close up, keeping the child’s head in the upper third of the picture. This will help to get rid of unnecessary clutter in the background and bring the focus back to your child.

BE AWARE OF THE BACKGROUND

Keep an eye on the area you are shooting in. If you are at the beach and in the background there’s a hairy man in a Speedo, chances are the focus will not necessarily fall on your child. Keep an eye out for garbage cans, large signs or anything else that may overpower your picture and take the attention away from where you want it to be.

USE FILL FLASH

That’s a fancy way of saying turn your flash on outside. The reason you would do this would be to fill in shadows underneath a child’s eyes and give a more even light in a tricky lighting situation (if no shade was available etc).

Good Luck with all your summer picture-taking!

Nadine is a stay at home mom/professional photographer who specializes in children and newborn photography. You can see some of her work at www.allurebebe.com. She has 3 wonderful children Caleb 9, Amélie 7 and Leia 2 and has been married to her best friend for the past 10 years. Nadine loves photography, baking, reading, crafting, helping people and finding daily ways to teach all these loves to her children and others around her.